Jubilee

This weekend there will be celebrations in the UK for Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee. The Commonwealth-wide Jubilee festivities actually began on February 6–the anniversary of Elizabeth’s father’s death–and culminate in the various events going on over this weekend and into next week. This is a particular milestone for the British monarchy since Elizabeth II is only the second British monarch to have lived long enough to see a Diamond Jubilee. Queen Victoria celebrated her Diamond Jubilee in 1897, and went on to rule another three and a half years after that.

I won’t be in the UK to celebrate. Indeed, the last time I was in the UK for a Jubilee was the Queen’s Silver Jubilee in 1977. It was a long time ago, but I remember it vividly. We lived on a cul-de-sac, and our next door neighbor invited all the kids over to their place. They set out a long table in their back yard and served jelly, ice cream, cakes, and other party food. The yard was decorated with red, white, and blue streamers, and we all got into the spirit of the occasion with our party hats. In fact, here’s a still from a film my dad shot of the event:

That's me near the front in a blue sweater and white hat, pulling a face

There are divided opinions in the UK as to whether they should continue to have a Royal Family. My fascination with British history–especially the monarchy–biases me in favor. But whatever one’s opinion of the monarchy, one thing I have observed about occasions like this: they serve to unite the country. People like a reason to celebrate, especially when times are hard. And no bombs were dropped, no missiles fired, and no enemies gunned down to prompt this outpouring of joy. This is one nation, along with her Commonwealth friends, joining together to raise a glass to a woman who has spent the last sixty years of her life serving her country, often in the midst of difficult circumstances, under incessant public scrutiny. Personally, I think that’s no small achievement.